‘American Idol’ Slips in Heartwarming Tribute for Mother’s Day During Coldplay Night

Sunday night’s newest episode of American Idol found a special way to honor mothers. As the ABC singing competition narrowed down the competition to just the top five performers, the show slipped in a subtle but touching Mother’s Day tribute during the quarter-finals that many viewers may have missed.

The tribute came during the credits. While a typical episode of the show would simply show the names of the host and judges – Ryan Seacrest, Katy Perry, Luke Bryan, and Lionel Richie – Idol decided to change things up a bit in a very meaningful way. This week’s credits were swapped to bear the names of their mothers, with the host being credited to Seacrest’s mother Connie Seacrest, and the judges’ names reading Mary Hudson, LeClaire Bryan, and Alberta Richie. While many missed the tribute, those eagle-eyed viewers who did catch it praised it on social media, with one person writing, “how sweet! the judges and host dedicated their moms in closing credits!” Another person said the Mother’s Day tribute was “so cute & beautiful.”

Given that Sunday’s episode fell on Mother’s Day, Idol paid homage to mothers in more ways than just the credits. As the top seven performers took the stage for the two-hour episode, they not only belted out music from the Coldplay songbook but also a song for Mother’s Day. Casey Bishop, the current season’s youngest contestant, sang “Paradise” and Alanis Morissette’s “Ironic,” with Chayce Beckham performing Coldplay’s “Magic” and his original song titled “Mama,” earning plenty of praise from the judges. Willie Spence sang “Yellow” and Joe Cocker’s “You Are So Beautiful,” Caleb Kennedy performed “Violet Hill” and his original song “Mama Said,” Arthur Gunn sang “In My Place” and Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Simple Man,” Grace Kinstler performed “Fix You” and Adele’s “When We Were Young,” and Hunter Metts performed renditions of “Everglow” and original song “The River.”

Although all performers wowed the judges and audiences viewing from home, only five could move forward in the competition. By the episode’s end, Metts and Gunn were eliminated. The top five moving on in the competition are Casey Bishop, Grace Kinstler, Chayce Beckham, Willie Spence, and Caleb Kennedy.

American Idol‘s semi-finals kick off on Monday at 8 p.m. ET on ABC, with the top five finalists set to sing songs by their personal idols followed by performances of their potential winner’s singles for the first time. New episodes of American Idol airs Sundays and Mondays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC. The episodes can also be watched for free on FuboTV or on Hulu With Live TV with a free trial. For all of the latest Idol updates, stay tuned to PopCulture!

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